App Finder: Best astronomy apps

Friday

Mar 21, 2014 at 1:01 AM

Spring is here (at least in name), and you’ll soon be wanting to spend more time outdoors. If you’re out at night, you’ll want a good astronomy app to let you know what’s happening in the sky. Here are a few to get you started.SKYSAFARI: This app shows you the night sky as it as, and, even cooler, it shows you the sky as it was up to one millions years in the past and how it will be one million years in the future. If you’re downloading this for iOS, be aware that if you have iOS7, you need SkySafari4. $2.99 for iOS and Android. http://skysafariastronomy.com/DELUXE MOON HD: This app is all about the moon (obviously enough, given the name). You can see what phase the moon is in, what time the moon rises and sets, gives you zodiac information and much more. $2.99 for iOS. http://deluxemoon.com/deluxe_moon_screen_ipad.htmlSTAR CHART: This is one of the better free astronomy apps. You can use it to see what stars you’re looking at and what stars are on the other side of the planet. You also can see into the past or future, but 10,000 years, not one million like SkySafari. Free for iOS and Android. https://www.facebook.com/StarChartNASA: This is the official app from NASA, and you’ll get all kinds of fun thing here. You can learn about the latest space missions, view amazing NASA space photos, learn about objects in the sky and more. Free for iOS and Android. http://www.nasa.gov/connect/apps.htmlHot app of the weekSMASH HIT: If you’re in the market for a cool-looking, addictive game, you’ll want to check this out. What you do is try to smash glass objects that are in your path, and it requires good timing and concentration. Free for iOS and Android. http://www.smashhitgame.com/More Content Now